Status Report

MRPO Daily Status Report 11-26-02

By SpaceRef Editor
November 26, 2002
Filed under , ,

GMT Date: 330

Calendar Date: 11/26/02

Increment: 5

Stage: 9A

Week 25

STS-113/11A docked with the ISS yesterday at approximately 4:00 p.m.
CST. Joint operations are planned for seven days, with undocking planned
to occur Monday, 12/2.

Payloads launched on STS-113/11A:
CSLM-2, STES-10, ZCG Autoclaves & Hard drives, InSpace Coil Assemblies.
STES-10 is powered and nominal.

Payloads to be returned on STS-113:
PGBA, STES-7, ZCG Autoclaves & Hard drives, MSG PDC.

Payloads currently on-board ISS:
BSTC, CGBA, InSPACE, MAMS, MSG (facility), PFMI, PGBA, SAMS, STES-7, SUBSA
and ZCG.

Status:
MRPO payloads CGBA, MAMS, PGBA and SAMS continue nominal, basically unattended,
operations. STES-7 remains powered but the growth chambers have been deactivated.
BSTC, InSpace, MSG, PFMI, SUBSA and ZCG are currently inactive.

EXPRESS RACKS 1 and 4 (ER1 & ER4) are powered and supporting payload
operations. ER2 power has been turned-off to conserve energy during Joint
Operations. ER3 and ER5 are available to support payload operations but
are currently inactive.

CGBA health and status data is nominal. CGBA power will be turned-off
Friday and the payload will be inactive until it is returned on STS-114
(ULF1).

MAMS is operating nominally in the quasi-steady mode. HiRAP is currently
disabled but it was active yesterday during docking. MAMS data is available
on the acceleration measurement web page.

MSG trouble-shooting performed Friday confirmed the Power Distribution
Controller (PDC) has failed. The PDC was removed from the MSG Saturday
and may be returned on STS-113. The MSG will not be able to support payload
operations until the PDC is either repaired or replaced. A replacement
PDC is not currently available onboard the ISS.

PGBA health and status data is nominal. Downlink of video from the PGBA
internal cameras has not been successful. Plant growth has not been observed
so far on the second crop. PGBA is scheduled for transfer to STS-113 Friday
for return.

PFMI hardware and a partially processed sample (#8) remain unpowered
in the MSG which is currently inoperable.

All SAMS sensors in EXPRESS Racks are operating nominally. The SAMS sensor
in the MSG is currently turned-off. SAMS was active during docking yesterday.
SAMS data is also being posted to the acceleration measurement web page.

STES-7 health and status data is nominal. All growth chambers were deactivated
Sunday. Exchange transfers of STES-7 in ER4 and STES-10 on the Shuttle
are scheduled Friday. STES-7 is to be returned on STS-113.

ZCG operations have been completed. The processed autoclaves have been
removed and stowed in preparation for return on STS-113.

Near-term Outlook:

Week 25 (11/25-12/1) – The main thrust of this week will be to
install the third segment of the ISS truss which will require three EVAs.
Reboost of the ISS to a higher orbit will also occur during this week.
Supply and return payload transfers will also be accomplished.

Today is the busiest day of the Joint Operations period. The Port 1 truss
segment has been removed from the Shuttle payload bay with the Shuttle
robotic arm and handed-off to the Station Robotic Arm which maneuvered
it to the installation position. Four motorized bolts will accomplish
initial mating. Additional bolts will be installed by two crewmen during
today’s EVA which is expected to last approximately six hours and
30 minutes. Additional connections and service activation procedures will
be accomplished during EVA-2 Wednesday and EVA-3 Saturday.

Expedition 6 Week 1 (12/2-12/8) – Undocking should occur on Monday, 12/2.
The crew will have off-duty days on Tuesday and Wednesday. No crew activities
are scheduled during the remainder of this week for MRPO payloads.

M. Vlasse, PhD, DSc
MRPO Increment Scientist

ACRONYMS:

BCSS — Biotechnology Cell Science Stowage
BSTC– Biotechnology Specimen Temperature Controller (General status information
on this payload will include coverage of the following items of support
equipment: BTR, BCSS and GSM)
BTR — Biotechnology Refrigerator
CGBA – Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
ER1– EXPRESS RACK 1
ER2 — EXPRESS RACK 2
ER3 – EXPRESS RACK 3
ER4 – EXPRESS RACK 4
ER5 – EXPRESS RACK 5
EVA – Extra Vehicular Activity
GSM — Gas Supply Module
InSPACE– Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates
ISS – International Space Station
MAMS — Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System
MSG – Microgravity Science Glovebox
PDC – Power Distribution Controller on MSG
PFMI – Pore Formation and Mobility Investigation
PGBA – Plant Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus
SAMS — Space Acceleration Measurement System II
STES – Protein Crystal Growth – Single Thermal Enclosure System
SUBSA – Solidification Using a Baffle in Sealed Ampoules
ZCG – Zeolite Crystal Growth

SpaceRef staff editor.